Cost of Living Comparison Between Dumfries and Manchester Cost of Living Comparison Between Dumfries and Manchester

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,795 in Dumfries versus $2,637 in Manchester.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,770 in Dumfries versus $3,830 in Manchester.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,746 in Dumfries versus $5,024 in Manchester.

Living in Dumfries costs roughly 32% less than in Manchester, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dumfries 30% above, Manchester 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.92 £11.04

$20.56 £15.22

-27.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.1 £59.3

$94.0 £69.6

-14.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.95 £5.88

$11.03 £8.17

-27.92%

Cappuccino

$4.42 £3.27

$4.82 £3.57

-8.30%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 £1.84

$2.53 £1.87

-1.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 £0.98

$1.73 £1.28

-23.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.56 £4.11

$8.18 £6.06

-32.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.21 £4.60

$6.84 £5.06

-9.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 £1.15

$1.45 £1.08

7.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 £1.28

$1.84 £1.36

-6.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.85 £2.11

$1.93 £1.43

47.67%

Eggs

$4.28 £3.17

$3.99 £2.96

7.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.73 £5.73

$9.53 £7.05

-18.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 £7.08

$8.96 £6.63

6.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.27 £11.30

$15.76 £11.67

-3.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 £1.79

$3.21 £2.38

-24.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 £1.67

$1.61 £1.20

40.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 £1.72

$3.01 £2.23

-22.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.81 £2.08

$3.42 £2.53

-17.84%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 £2.40

$1.50 £1.11

116.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 £1.59

$1.33 £0.99

61.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 £1.21

$1.29 £0.95

27.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 £1.54

$1.30 £0.96

59.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.88 £17.67

$24.36 £18.03

-1.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.07 £8.93

$10.88 £8.05

10.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 £2.40

$2.46 £1.82

32.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 £2.49

$3.08 £2.28

9.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.26 £3.16

$2.68 £1.99

58.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.6 £70.0

$109 £80.5

-13.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.66 £3.45

$4.64 £3.43

0.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 £0.67

$2.16 £1.60

-58.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.11 £8.96

$30.39 £22.49

-60.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 £1.38

$2.09 £1.55

-11.00%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$39.5K £29.2K

-0.00%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$41.6K £30.8K

0.04%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$242 £179

$292 £216

-17.26%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$23.74 £17.58

$16.65 £12.32

42.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.38 £32.11

$39.66 £29.36

9.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 £37.54

$54.3 £40.21

-6.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.62 £20.44

$18.86 £13.96

46.45%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 £10.16

$13.54 £10.02

1.40%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,009 £1,487

$1,309 £969

53.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.2K £16.4K

$20.0K £14.8K

11.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 £62.9

$88.1 £65.2

-3.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.5 £39.60

$41.59 £30.79

28.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 £92.0

$95.3 £70.6

30.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.0 £65.8

$107 £78.9

-16.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$630 £467

$1,816 £1,344

-65.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$541 £401

$1,295 £958

-58.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$997 £738

$3,067 £2,270

-67.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$979 £725

$2,020 £1,495

-51.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,879 £4,352

$4,729 £3,500

24.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,051 £2,999

$4,465 £3,305

-9.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,599 £2,664

$3,446 £2,551

4.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.41

4.87

11.09%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Dumfries: September 5, 2026

Last update for Manchester: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $630 in Dumfries and $1,816 in Manchester. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dumfries pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $80.0 in Dumfries vs $94.0 in Manchester. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $300, with Manchester cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Dumfries vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dumfries is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 4% higher in Dumfries, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $630 in Dumfries versus $1,816 in Manchester. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Dumfries – a meal for two runs $80.0 versus $94.0 in Manchester. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,795 per month in Dumfries versus $2,637 in Manchester – a 47% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,795 in Dumfries versus $2,637 in Manchester, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Dumfries but tight or insufficient in Manchester. The gap between the two cities makes Dumfries the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dumfries is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Manchester, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Dumfries gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Manchester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.